A longtime AOPA member and co-chair of the California Aviation Caucus has taken on the influential role of Senate Republican Leader for the state.
State Sen. Jean Fuller (R-District 16) has a long history of supporting general aviation in the state. She’s been an AOPA member for more than 30 years and has recently helped lead the growth of the GA Caucus, which was founded in January. On Aug. 27, she was named Senate Republican Leader.
“It’s great to have a strong general aviation advocate take the leadership spot among Senate Republicans,” said Melissa McCaffrey, AOPA regional manager for the Western Pacific Region. “Senator Fuller understands the many ways GA contributes to the economy, resource management, disaster relief, farming, transportation, and so much more across California.”
As co-chair of the aviation caucus, along with state Assembly Member Jim Patterson (R-District 23), Fuller has helped grow caucus membership from just 17 members to 28 members in a few months.
Both Fuller and Patterson are aircraft owners and pilots, as are numerous members of Fuller’s family, including her husband. In 2013, Fuller received AOPA’s “Friends of Aviation Award” for her contributions to general aviation, including her work to exempt FAA-certificated flight instructors from regulation by the California Bureau of Postsecondary Education. Many believe the fees and requirements associated with that regulation would have put the majority of flight instructors out of business. More recently, she authored Senate Bill 1072 which was signed into law in 2014 and helps protect private property owners from liability when they open their land to the public for aviation activities.
